Ice making machine



Nov. 19, 1957 E. A. osTRoM 2,813,403

ICE MAKING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fla I INVENTOR. I'm/i57- 4. 05790 I Y BY 55 55-2 1/ MM Arron [)6 Nov. 19, 1957 E. A. OSTROM 2,313,403

ICE MAKING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent ICE MAKINGMACHINE, Ernest A. strom,:0akland', Application June 6, 1955, SerlallNo.l51:3,'476 1 1:01am. mam-401p This application .relatesto a machine for making ice.

More particularly, the application relates to a machine a used toremove the sheet ice from the drum so as to proand economically than duce ice flakes more expeditiously prior art machines. 3

i A further object of this invention is to provide a novel machine for making chip or flake "ice Wherei'nfa rotating cutter is moved orbitally relative to astation'ary freezing drum while simultaneously rotating. about'its own axis.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ice making machine as set fortlrin the previous object wherein "the rotating cutter member is rotated with a peripheral speed greater than the orbital speed ofthecutter relative tothedrum.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following detailed specification, and illustrated by way of example in theaccompaniyng drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a sectional View of an ice making machine H embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken ;on line 3-3-'of Fig. 1. Referring .now to the drawings wherein similar reference numerals are used to denote gthe same elements throughout the various views shown,-,10 generally indicates an ice machine embodying the preferred form of the invention.

The machine 10 is mounted on afram'e comprising "an upper plate member 11 and a lower member '12 connected together by rigid frame structure (not shown).

The machine 10 includes a stationary thollow freezing drum 13 rigidly mounted between the frame members 11 and 12 bymeans of two axially a1igned,*vertically extending trunnion shafts 14 and 15. The upper trunnion shaft 14 is fixed at its upper end to the upper frame member 11 and at its lower end to the upper drum end 16 concentric therewith. Similarly, the lower trunnion shaft 15 is fixed at its lower end to the lower frame member 12 and at its upper end to the lower drum end 17 concentric therewith. The drum 13 is cooled by refrigerant from any suitable source (not shown) introduced into said drum through suitable passageways (not shown) extending longitudinally through the lower trunnion shaft 15 and connected to a fitting 18 provided on the lower end thereof.

The peripheral freezing surface 18 of the drum is made of a material having a high heat conductivity, while the drum ends 16 and 17 are made of heat insulating material to prevent ice from forming thereon.

A cutter carrier assembly, generally indicated at 19, is mounted for rotary movement about the fixed drum 13. The cutter carrier assembly 19 comprises an upper trun- 2,813,403 Patented Nov. 19, 1

ice

2. nion 20, rotatably mounted on the upper trunnioni shaft 14, and a lower trunnion 21, rotatably mounted on the lower trunnion shaft 15. A plurality of. rigid, vertically extending brace members 28 are connected at their opp0 site ends to the trunnions 20 and 21, respectively.

The upper trunnion 20 is formed with a sleeveportion 22 surrounding the trunnion shaft 14 and journaled thereon. A disc-shaped flange portion 23 extends out- .wardly from the lower end of the sleeve portion 22 and terminates in a downwardly depending annular flange 24 concentric with the drum 13. The annular .disc 23 is spaced from the upper drum end 16 to provide a water chamber 25 therebetween for purposes which. willhereinafter be described. Similarly, the depending flange 24 is spaced slightly from the peripheral surface 18 of theidrum to provide an annular restricted passageway 26 therebetween. An O-ring 27 prevents the water in the chamber 25 from passing upwardly between the sleeve 22 and the trunnion shaft 14.

In order torotate the cutter carrier assembly 19 relative to the drum 13, the machine is provided with a worm 29 driven by a suitable motor (not shown) and meshing with a worm gear 30 fixed to the sleeve portion 22 of the upper trunnion 20. An oil pan 32 is mounted beneath the worm gear 30 by a plurality of bolts 31 fixed to the upper frame member 11. The oil pan 32 is.provided with a sump 33 beneath the worm 29. An annular gearishield 34 surrounds the worm gear 30 and is confined between the oil pan 3.2 and the upper frame member 11.

To provide a waterflow in the form of acurtain over the peripheral surface 18 of the drum 13 to be frozen thereon, Water is introduced to the chaniber25, previously described, through suitable passageways (not shown) in the upper trunnion shaft 14 by meansof a conduit 35 connected to the outlet side of a water-circulating pump 36. The inlet side of the pump 36is connectedfto the sump 37 by a conduit 38. The water flows from the chamber 25 downwardly through the annular passageway 26 between the inner surface of the flange 241 and the external surface 18 of the drum. In orderto cut olfa portion of the curtain of water flowing over the external surface of the drum, anarcuate sealing strip 39 is fixed to the inner surface of the depending flange 24 and bears against the outer surface 18 of the drum 13. The sealing strip 39extends approximately one-third of the distance around the circumference of the drum. Since thesealing .strip 39 is fixed to the rotating flange 24, the cut-off portion of the curtain moves progressively around the-drum surface.

The lower trunnion 21, previously mentioned, comprises a central hub 40, rotatably supported in the lower trunnion shaft 15., and a vertically extending annular flange 41 fixed to said hub .by aplurality of spider arms 42. The upper end of the flange 41 is beveled downwardly and outwardly in the manner shown at 43 for purposes hereinafter described. The inner surface of the flange 41 is spaced slightly from the exterior surface 18 of the drum 13 to permit any water not frozen on the drum to pass downwardly therebetween. The excess water which passes between the flange 41 and the lower end of the drum 13 is collected in an annular trough 44 provided with a spout 45 emptying into the sump 37. Make-up water to replace that frozen on the drum is supplied to the sump 37 through a conduit 46 from any suitable supply. The admission of water to the sump 37 from the conduit 46 is controlled by a float valve 47 fixed to a float 48.

A rotating cutter assembly, generally indicated at 49, is provided to remove the ice sheet from the surface 18 of the drum 13. The cutter assembly 49 is mounted for orbital movement about the periphery of the drum 13 and for rotational movement about its own axis. order to provide such orbital and rotational movement, the cutter assembly 49 is provided with a central shaft 50 journaled in bearings 51 and 52 adjustably connected to the upper and lower trunnions 20 and 21, respectively.

As best seen in Fig. 2, a plurality of radially extending, helically disposed cutter blades 53 are fixed to the shaft about its own axis with a peripheral speed approximately 1.75 times its orbital speed relative to the periphery of the drum 13.

.In order to harvest the flakes of ice chipped from the surface 18 of the drum 13 by the cutter assembly 49, a foraminous arcuate cutter shield 57 surrounds the outside of the cutter assembly 49 to prevent the ice flakes from flying outwardly whereby said flakes will drop down wardly onto an annular horizontal shelf 58 fixed to and extending outwardly from the lower end of the annular flange 41, previously described, and to prevent accidental contact with the cutter assembly 49 by the operator. shield 57 is made foraminous to permit the ambient air to reach the cutter assembly 49 to prevent the cutter from becoming too cold and causing ice to freeze thereon. A delivery chute 59 is fixed to the lower frame member 12 at one point adjacent the periphery of the horizontal shelf 58 and a doctor blade 60 is fixed to the lower frame member 12 adjacent the chute 59 to scrape the ice flakes from said shelf into said chute as said shelf rotates relative thereto.

A water spreader 61 is fixed at its opposite ends to the upper and lower trunnions 20 and 21, respectively, and bears against the surface 18 of the drum 13 rearwardly of the cutter assembly 49 when considered with respect to the direction of rotation of said trunnions. The water spreader is located just to the rear of the trailing edge of the water cut-01f strip 39 and spreads the water which jets rearwardly therefrom in an even curtain on the surface of the drum 13. The water spreader 61 is also adapted to either scrape otf any particles of ice left on the drum surface by the cutter assembly 49 or to force them in against the drum so that the water will flow downwardly thereover in an even curtain.

In the operation of the device, the pump 36 is started to initiate the flow of the water curtain over the freezing surface 18 of the drum 13, and the motor driving the worm 29 is started to commence the orbital movement of the cutter assembly 49 about the drum 13. The sealing strip 39 is so located relative to the cutter assembly 49 that there is no water flow at the point of contact between the drum and the cutter assembly 49 and for a The substantial distance in front of said cutter assembly, whereby the ice sheet on the drum is permitted to cure before the cutter assembly removes the ice from the drum.

The excess water not frozen on the drum passes between the flange 41 and the drum 13 and returns to the sump to be recirculated by the pump 36. The ice flakes are deflected outwardly by the beveled upper edge 43 on the flange 41 to fall onto the annular shelf 58 and ultimately be scraped into the delivery chute 59 by the doctor blade 60.

While I have shownand described the preferred form of my invention, it is obvious that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention as clefined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In an apparatus for manufacturing ice, a vertically disposed stationary drum, a' rotatable flange portion covering the upper end of said drum, said flange portion being spaced from said drum to form a compartment therebetween, said'flange terminating in a downwardly depending annular flange concentric to said drum, means to supply liquid to said compartment whereby said liquid may fill said compartment and flow downwardly over the surface of said drum in the form of a curtain, cut-off mean-s carried by said depending flange in contact with said drum surface for progressively interrupting a portion of said curtain, means for rotating said rotatable flange portion in relation to said drum to move said curtain cut-off means around said drum, means for cooling said drum to congeal said liquid to form a sheet of ice thereon, rotatable cutter means carried by said flange portion in an orbital movement relative to said drum for removing successive body portions of said ice sheet, a stationary sun gear fixed relative'to said drum, a planet gear fixed to said rotatable cutter means and meshing with said sun gear for simultaneously rotating said cutter means about its own axis at a peripheral speed substantially greater than the orbital speed of said cutter means relative to said drum, and a foraminous arcuate cutter shield surrounding said cutter means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 402,968 Railsback May 7, 1889 1,020,759 Holden Mar. 19, 1912 1,633,712 Ribi June 28, 1927 1,963,842 Gay' June 19, 1934 2,063,770 Taylor Dec. 8, 1936 2,150,792 Willat Mar. 14, 1939 2,308,541 Raver Jan. 19, 1943 2,431,278 Raver Nov. 18, 1947 2,575,374 Walsh Nov. 20, 1951 2,585,021 Lessard Feb. 12, 1952 2,691,277 Stair Oct. 12, 1954 2,749,722 Knowles June 12, 1956 

